RET Site: Engineering and Data Analytics in Smart Cities

University Of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga TN

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is focused on data analytics in smart cities and harnesses the city of Chattanooga's emergence as a pioneer in urban renewal and smart city design. Chattanooga is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative smart US cities, partly because of the contributions of UTC and Chattanooga's locally owned electric distribution and communication provider, Electric Power Board, which has deployed 10Gbps Internet service to over 180,000 households and businesses, allowing for more effective transportation systems; improved energy efficiency; and smart urban development. The project is novel in leveraging several select Hamilton County career-themed Future Ready Institutes (FRIs) to provide authentic research experiences in smart city development for 30 high school STEM educators (10/year) who teach in these FRIs. For 6 weeks each summer, participants work with research mentors from varied disciplines who are conducting smart-cities focused projects: electric vehicle charging, green motors, drones, land use management, power consumption, and pavement design. Smart city innovations have a significant impact on infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and the health of their communities. Participants will work with the STEM standards that are exemplified in the engineering fundamentals underlying their research experiences and embed them into the design of Project-Based Learning (PBL) modules allowing students to look into potential careers as engineers and the impact they could make on their city and region. The project's delivery and derived benefits in the promotion of science and feeding the pipeline of qualified and diverse future engineers and scientists are enhanced through industry partnerships, involvement of student organizations including chapters of the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and dissemination of findings to a wider audience via the web, publications and symposiums participation. The objectives of the project include: (1) Increase high school teachers' research skills and practical knowledge of engineering principles related to smart city design and development. (2) Provide teachers with relevant skills and knowledge on Project-Based Learning (PBL) design and implementation. (3) Create a pipeline that will result in increased numbers of well-prepared high school students that will potentially feed into STEM related college disciplines. (4) Broaden underrepresented groups' STEM participation in underlying disciplines related to smart cities. RET participants will develop 9-week PBL modules that will be designed based on the Buck Institute for Education's seven PBL design principles for instructors. Professional development will provide opportunities for teachers to attend conferences and training sessions focused on STEM education best practices, national standards, PBL, and engineering design/critical thinking instruction. During the academic year, the project team will visit the classroom in order to provide feedback and support for implementation. The PBL curriculum modules developed by participants will focus on incorporating their research experience with their respective FRI theme and grade-level STEM concepts to meet the high school standards associated with their courses. These PBL modules will demonstrate for students the real work of engineers while educating them on the STEM fundamentals required to succeed in their current coursework. Through ongoing professional development that takes place across the entire FRI system, each FRI teacher will have the opportunity to learn from teacher participants and be a part of the curriculum's dissemination. Increased participation with local and regional industry will allow the FRIs to further leverage these partnerships, allowing for more on-campus visits, virtual discussions, and in-class experiences for students. The RET Site will also foster and strengthen a long-term partnership between UTC, Hamilton County Schools, and industry partners and has a specific target on reaching underrepresented minorities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.